The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-11-26
Ignorance Its Only Refuge.

Ao tft A<hAoi W He 4fACtIvSNCCTs
SlR:-The Register recently, in speaking
editorislly about the recent decision OF
the Supreme Court upon the ordinance
creating the Police and Fire Board in
this city, says: ut tho ordinsnce1 is
clearly invalid" This settles It. This is
q knock.down argument, such ae the
readers OF the Register are treated to every
morning. Next: Neither the Council Of
Wheeling nor the Congress Of tho United
statos can say that any claes or portion OF
the citizsnB Of this city or county shall be
ineligible for Office" Next: "Iuagine
such precedent"
Tho Constitution Of the United States
preBcribes the qualifications Of the Pres
ident OF the United States. Soc Article
II, Section 5. He must be natural born
citizen, or a citizen at the time OF the
adoption OF this Constitution, and he must
be thirty.iv years Of age. Here are pos.
tive conditions of eligibility to Gll IN
office, laid down in the highest organic
law OF the land. Citizenehip is created by
law, and unless the national and Slate
laws are complied with, no one eau be-
come q citizen Of this country. The
Chinese cannot become citizens of this
country, until made 90 byl the National
Congress. This question wss Settled by
the superior Court OF New York, q few
days ago, in the case Of tho Chinese law
yer. who had passed satiafactory examl.
nation, and for whose special benefit the
Legislature passed an enabling act. The
Supreme Court donied the application to
practice law in New York, for tho reeson
that the applicant was not citizen of the
United States, although tax payer.
This was apparently hardship to the
young Chinese lawyer, but he lacked one
essential element-citizenship The Con-
s.itutiou of tho United States prescribes
tho qualifications that eech and every otti.
Ger OF tho. General Government must
have, before they can enter tho duties OF
their respective ofiiceg. Is this proscrip-
tion? Certainly not. Without these safe
suardu, our Government would have col
lapsed long sgo. The State Constitution
ofWest Virginia also prescr;bes the quail.
iications OF the State officers. Is this
prescription, too? Tho question is now
narrowed down to counties and munich
palitieB. Counties either have Boards of
Commissioners or the old county Judge
syatenH. Under either system tho statutes
lay down their police and official duties,
Tho statute and the ordinance following
it,, says, that applicants for license to run
anloone, must be persons OF good moral
character, and not given 10 intemperata
habiss, Il regret to Say that this statute
and this ordinance have long since ceased
to operate in Ohio county and the city of
Wheeling.) This statute and ordinance
both express certain moral conditions OF
citizenship. 1s this prescription? Public
policy and society demand theee esfe.
guards. Public policy requires OF our
Legislators, whether they be municipal,
State or National, such laws as will bess
subserve all the interesta Of society. II
the National Government, il the State
Government can and does lay down cer-
tain qualifications for their Offices and
votes, why cannot city do the sans,
subject to the higher creating law power?
The charter OF this city allows Council to
be the judge Of such legislation, only that
such legislature shall at all times conform
to the constitution and lava OF the State.
The Register, without assigning any ssn-
sible reason or argument, jumps headlong
10 the conclusion that the ordinance Is
unconstitutional. Wherein does he show
1t to be eo2 The city undoubtedly has tho
right to say whether drunkard, thief,
or any other such character shall fill her
Offices. II she has this conceded right, she
has the right to Say whether men who run
saloons, and men who can neither read
nor write the Language In which the ordi-
nauces are written and printed, shall Gll
tho Offices, Our statute says who shall
serve upon our iuries. Is this ploscrip-
tion? g -
Whether the Supreme Court passed di.
rcctly upon the constitutionalty Of the
ordinance or not, is immatarial to ths
question now. 1t did, however, say that
the statute Of 1875 wss unconstitutional,
and that settles that part Of the question
The question now suggested 10, now can
they teat the cons.itutio nality OF the ord;-
nance? It would be better for the city ii
1t had all boards to manage her intsrests.
Every State in the Union has its
own laws fixing the qualifications Of ita
voters. .-sE a CITIZEN.
Wheeling, November 25, 1887.
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